


if the world was ending

by izthebookfreak



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Coronavirus, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Im not sure if anyone wants this, a fan fiction that I wanted so bad I had to write it myself, but I do, probably a reveal at one point, quarantine au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25381525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izthebookfreak/pseuds/izthebookfreak
Summary: COVID-19 strikes Paris in a hurry and everyone is ushered indoors. With Adrien’s father stuck in Italy and Marinette’s parents stuck in China, the best thing to do is move in together... right?Quarantine AU because I love these kids and keep thinking about them getting locked together.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 89
Kudos: 230





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe no one wants this? But I do... and after extensive research I cannot find a quarantine fic so I guess I’ll be the one to write it.

Adrien had never heard of coronavirus. 

No one had, of course. That’s what made it so strange. Some mysterious disease sweeping across Asia and killing everyone in its path? Not exactly your normal flu season.

It hadn’t really touched Paris yet (who knew if it really would) but it was all anyone could think about- including Adrien Agreste.

School was always exploding with conversation, but the normal chatter and laughter was replaced with the low humming of worried whispers. Even as Adrien walked to class, he could hear the newest theories and gossip of the virus.

“I heard it’s just like the flu.”

“The flu doesn’t kill thousands of people in one week.”

“China has bad health care. Maybe they just don’t know what to do?”

“Schools are going to shut down for sure.”

“I give it three weeks until martial law.”

“I think Sadie has it. She didn’t come to school today.”

“Hopefully I’m at my mom’s if we quarantine. My stepmom is the worst.”

“Did you hear about Italy? It’s like the end of the world.”

Adrien shook his head as if he could block out the voices. He felt his arm instinctively reaching for his phone. His eyes glanced at the screen and he sighed. There was no text from Gabriel Agreste. 

_Are you okay?_ His fingers typed. _Please call me._

He huffed, shoving his phone into his pocket. He tried not to think about his father being stuck in a foreign country during a pandemic and yet trying not to think about something just means that you’re thinking about it more. 

Adrien was so focused on his father’s radio silence he didn’t even notice his best friend had begun walking beside him.

“Hey, dude!” Nino said, “Any news from your dad?”

Adrien jumped, surprised by the voice, then forced a laugh. “No, but I’m sure he’s fine.”

Nino wrapped an arm around the boy, “Dude, your dad is probably the richest guy in Italy right now. Even if they shut down... man, even if he got sick, your dad could afford a thousand ventilators. You got nothing to worry about.” 

The boy shivered. This was all just so weird. How could people speak so calmly about something so… apocalyptic?

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Adrien smiled. “Just busy as always. How’s your mom doing?” 

Nino sighed, his positive aura dimming. “Scared, but she was crazy before the pandemic.” The boy retracted his arm and started picking at his nails. “We’re moving in my grandparents this weekend.”

Adrien’s eyes widened, “Shit.”

“Yeah,” Nino continued, “it’s kinda freaky. Like, I know this thing is bad, but everything’s just moving so fast. Mom thinks if they get sick it’s the end… and she doesn’t want them, you know… dying in a nursing home.” 

The boy felt his throat tighten, “Nino I’m so sorry.”

Nino shook his head and smiled, a real true smile. “It’s all good, man. I mean, we’re in the middle of history. Nothing we can do about.”

_History._

“Oh, but, dude,” Nino continues, “Did you hear about Marinette?”

Adrien frowned. _Marinette?_ “Is she okay?” _Is she sick?_

Nino shook his head, “Nah, man. Her parents were visiting their relatives in China and they’re stuck.”

Adrien felt his head spinning, “Stuck in there house?”

“Dude. Stuck in China.”

As if on cue, Adrien heard a soft voice whispering in a foreign tongue. The boys had reached their classroom and Marinette was standing outside. She was on the phone, one arm held up to her ear and the other wrapped around her stomach. Marinette spoke quickly, but after years of studying Chinese he could pick out keywords.

_Closed. Airplanes. Sickness. Stay safe._

Nino walked over to Marinette, placing a gentle hand onto her arm and winking playfully. The girl tried to smile but it was numb and dull. Nino smiled and walked into the room leaving Marinette and Adrien alone in the hallway. 

Adrien started to walk over to her but froze and he felt his pocket vibrate. His hand shot to his phone, his chest twisting while he read the name on his screen: Natalie.

The boy cursed, yet accepted the call. “Hi, Natalie.”

“Adrien.” Chills ran across the base of his neck. Natalie’s usually monotonous voice was replaced with worry. 

Adrien spoke softly, “Natalie, what’s wrong?”

“Adrien,” she repeated, “Your father isn’t going to come home for a while.”

The boy paused, unsure of what to say. “Okay.”

“Italy is shutting down.” Natalie’s voice was unsteady and panicked. “Or at least... we think so. He’s currently quarantining in his hotel. We… he… I don’t know when they’ll reopen the country.” 

Adrien was numb. “Okay,” he repeated dumbly.

He saw his teacher walk out of the classroom and motion for him to join class but Adrien shook his head. She seemed to understand and left him alone. “What does that mean?”

“Your father is preparing for an economic decline and has asked that all house staff be furloughed,” Natalie paused. “That includes me.”

Adrien nodded, then realizing that she couldn’t see him, spoke softly, “I don’t understand.”

There was silence from the other end. They both seemed to be thinking of things too complicated for words.

“I’ve spoken with my wife,” Natalie finally said. “If or when they shut down Paris, you are more than welcome to stay with us.”

The shell shock was beginning to wear off and anxiety ran its course through his body. “Stay with you?”

Natalie said, “Adrien, you are too young to be quarantined alone. If you’d rather stay with your friends just let me know but I will not let you stay alone in that house.”

 _Quarantined_ , Adrien thought. _When did his life become a YA novel?_

“I’ll ask around and let you know,” Adrien said, fanning responsibility. “Thank you for the offer.”

“Please be careful,” Natalie said. “Wash your hands- REALLY wash your hands- and keep your distance from as many people as you can. Now is not the time to be buddy-buddy.” 

Adrien laughed, “Okay, Natalie. I’ll be careful.” It was unnatural to hear her be so motherly. He honestly didn’t know if Natalie liked him. “I’ll see you when this is over, I guess.” 

“Good bye, Adrien.” She spoke quickly and the call ended before Adrien could process.

Adrien stared his phone, dumbfounded. The strange words kept circling his mind.

_History. Disease. Sickness. Quarantine. History. Disease. Sickness. Quarantine. History. Disease. Sickness. Quarantine._

“Adrien?”

The boy whipped his head, his eyes licking with Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s. She looked exhausted. Her face was worn. Her hair was down and matted. She wore glasses, tiny, pink, wired frames, and drowned in a pink oversized sweatshirt. She looked… clumsy.

“Was that your father?” Her voice was tired, too. He was used to her being timid but exhaustion had never been part of Marinette’s vocabulary. At least he hadn’t thought so.

Adrien shook his head, “No, just his assistant. It seems like my dad is stuck in Italy. Or at least… he’s not planning on leaving any time soon.”

“Oh,” Marinette looked down. “I’m so sorry.”

There was a pause, both teens unsure of what comes next.

“I heard about your parents,” Adrien lowered his gaze as well. “I’m sorry, too.”

Marinette scoffed, “Oh, yeah, it’s just great. And now I have to make a plan for the bakery. Plus homework and normal Marinette issues so it’s just perfect.” 

Another pause. Adrien shifted awkwardly and Marinette sighed, “I’m sorry, that was-“

“What if I helped you?” Adrien blurted.

Marinette froze. “What?”  
  
Adrien scratched his neck, his eye line bouncing from the walls to the ground. “Well my dad let go of all the house staff so it’s just going to be me. I could come and work… for free, of course. I can’t imagine modeling taking up my free time anymore. I don’t really know how to bake… or drive… or maybe anything useful BUT I could answer phone calls or organize orders or just help in however I can.” 

Marinette continued to emulate confusion. Adrien bit his lip, “Or not… it was just an idea.”

After a minute of awkward contemplation and Adrien quietly having a panic attack, Marinette took a deep breath. 

“Would you like to move in?”

Adrien felt his jaw collapse and it took him a few minutes to learn how to form sentences.

“Move in? With you?”

Marinette’s face flushed and she started fiddling with her sweatshirt strings. “Well, I don’t really want to be alone if the world ends. And I’ll probably need help with the bakery, after all.”

Adrien had to bite his cheeks to keep from gaping. Marinette was nice and all, and probably one of the only friends he had, but to move in with Marinette. _With a girl?!_

“Are you serious?” he found himself asking. 

Marinette shrugged, “I mean… I’ll have to call my parents again and ask but I’m sure it’ll be fine.” 

While Adrien’s mind was miles away, he found himself nodding slowly. “Okay, let’s do it.”

The girl smiled, “Great.” 

Neither kid knew how to end the conversation and rather than a formal goodbye Adrien slowly held out his fist to her. “Roomies?”

Marinette bumped his fist with hers. “Roomies.” 

* * *

_Thank you for the offer, Natalie, but I’m going to stay with my friend, Marinette._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have you seen the naked scene in the proposal? I was kinda channeling a PG version of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe I wrote a second chapter this fast! Guess there’s too many ideas!

Marinette had inhaled three calming teas, two bags of Dove chocolate, and half a container of sparkling grape juice before 10 AM and she was still completely unprepared to have Adrien Agreste live in her house. 

She didn’t know why she asked (honestly she didn’t remember asking, too much had happened in the last 48 hours), but Adrien was the first to call her when Paris officially shut down.

His first question was how much cheese she had. His second one was how many pillows to bring.

Marinette’s parents were thrilled she wouldn’t be quarantining alone. Even Tiki thought it was a good idea, but the teenage girl couldn’t stop freaking out. She had attempted to avoid her anxiety with meaningless tasks and none of Marinette’s close friends and family would have been surprised that the morning of Adrien's arrival Marinette had stressed baked thirteen types of macarons.

Adrien, however, was very surprised. 

The boy stood in the cafe’s entrance, surrounded by enormous bags of luggage, watching the flour coated teen race around the kitchen. She hadn’t seemed to notice him. Marinette was feverishly whisking something, muttering to herself and wiping sweat from her brow. 

Adrien slowly set down a bag that was slung on his shoulder. “Marinette?”

Marinette yelped, dropping the bowl, meringue flying across the kitchen. Meeting Adrien’s eyes, she stepped forward to greet him, unfortunately stepping directly into the spilled meringue, losing balance, and toppling to the ground. 

Adrien cursed, leaving his bags and running to help Marinette. She was covered in baking ingredients, pouting on the floor. The girl flung her hands into the air, “Are you kidding me?!”

The boy laughed, offering his hand. “Seems that you had a busy morning.”

Marinette flushed, gingerly taking his hand. “Well, we have a lot of to-go orders and I had to distract myself from…” The girl looked into his eyes and her mouth hung open for a moment. She had never noticed how green they were…

“I know,” Adrien grinned. “The world is pretty freaky right now. I don’t blame you for needing a distraction.”

Marinette bit her lip. _Right, the pandemic._

The girl looked down at her apron. Embarrassed, she started wiping off the powder. “Sorry, I probably look like a mess…”

“You’re fine,” Adrien smiled, a gentle and supportive smile, and Marinette sighed softly. She could feel her stomach dissolve and reform into thousands of tiny butterflies. Her mind wandered to thoughts of their first date (obviously at the Louvre)... their wedding (a destination wedding in the Bahamas)... having kids together… _making_ kids together…

“Marinette?”

“Hm?” Marinette was back in his eyes… his beautiful emerald eyes…

“Where should I put my bags?” 

The girl would’ve sworn her heart stopped. Again her jaw was agape (she’d have to learn how to stop doing that). She could faintly muster a, “Huh?”

“My bags,” he gestured to the pile of luggage on the ground. “Unless I’m sleeping in the bakery… those ovens could be cozy.”

“Right,” Marinette laughed a little too hard. “Right-well-um… follow me. Bring the bags… obviously.” _Dammit, Marinette. Be cool. Be cool._

The teen led her new supermodel roommate through the kitchen and into her home. She kept checking behind her, not that she was worried he would steal anything. She didn’t really know what she was worried about. Each time she looked over her shoulder Adrien would be looking at pictures or flash her a smile. One more smile and the girl would forget how to spell her name. Marinette was more than relieved to finally reach her parent’s bedroom.

“So this is your room.” Marinette waved her hands like a car salesman. “It’s technically my parents room… but they said it could be yours… but you could sleep around in here. Not that you’d be sleeping around, of course. It’s just me and we know we aren’t going to sleep together. That'd be crazy!”

Adrien nodded slowly, his face a mixture of confusion and amusement. “Thank you, though if it’s really an issue I can sleep in the living room. Or the street. You know I can just leave.”

Marinette’s eyes widened, “Oh, no! Adrien I would-”

“Joking,” Adrien raised his hands up in defense. “I was joking.” He flashed a mischievous grin and Marinette was overcome with a strange sensation of deja vu.

“Oh,” Marinette shifted awkwardly. “Sorry… guess I’m a little wound up.”

The boy laughed, “That’s probably what happens when a stranger stays with you for an indefinite amount of time.”

“Indefinite,” Marinette repeated. It was quiet again. Their conversations were like hiccups, each voice trying to catch up with the other. 

The girl clasped her hands together, letting out a low sigh. “Well, I’ll let you get settled in. If you need anything I’ll be downstairs.”

She waved, then realizing that it was probably weird, laughed uncomfortably and shot him a couple finger guns. Then, wishing that she would immediately self destruct, moved backwards out of the room, knocking her head against the door post before effectively leaving.

Once she was out of Adrien’s view she bolted to her bedroom, locking the door behind her slamming her body against it. Her head dropped to her hands and she let out a quiet scream.

Tiki peaked her head out of her outfit, “Marientte, it wasn’t that bad.”

“I can’t do this,” the girl moaned.

The kwami frowned, “I’ll admit, this isn’t the most orthodox…. but Adrien is a sweet boy and it’s nice that you aren’t alone right now.”

Marinette sighed, “I guess. But I don’t even know what to say to him! I just get so lost I’m his beautiful eyes and everything gets fuzzy! I swear- I just black out.”

“Maybe you just need to get to know him,” Tiki suggested, whizzing around her head. “I’m sure he’s not nearly as scary as you think.”

The girl snorted. Get to know him? She knew everything about Adrien. His schedule, his favorite color, his shampoo brand. She knew how long he had been speaking Chinese, the songs he could play on the piano, even his shampoo brand. She could name every magazine he had been in: year, issue, and season. There was nothing she didn’t know about Adrien Agreste.

“I have an idea,” Tiki said. “Let’s get all that tension out. It is Thursday, after all, even if your parents aren’t there.” 

Marienefte smiled, “You're right. Let’s get to work.”

* * *

“Wow, you really hit the girlfriend jackpot, huh?” 

Adrien slammed the closet shut, moving over to his bag and surveying his left over clothes. “She’s not my girlfriend,” he said.

Plagg shot across the room, snooping through the shelves and tables. The entire room was a mixture of Chinese and French culture. Plagg was finishing himself drawn to Asian styled drawings that hung from the walls.

“Sure, you just move in with every girl who asks.” The boy blushed, “You know this was the best option. Besides, Marinette is just a friend.”

“Just a friend?” Plagg asked. He was examining a picture of the family hung in the room. “As if. I give it a month before you’re sharing a bed and making out on the couch.”

Adrien felt heat move across his face. “No, Plagg. That is not happening.”

“Suit yourself,” Plagg said. “But you haven’t mentioned Ladybug in days. Seems like you have found a more realistic goal.” 

The boy stopped, his heart clawing at his throat. _Ladybug_ , Adrien thought. He had felt so guilty never saying goodbye. He hadn’t had the time. Was she okay? Was she safe? Would he ever see her again?

“Hey, dude,” Plagg zoomed to the boy and plopped on his shoulder. “Ladybug is tough. She’s got this. I bet she’s off somewhere fighting off life sized mutant germs. You've got nothing to worry about.”

Adrien sighed, “You’re right. I guess I just miss her. She’s my other half, you know?”

The kwami groaned, “You’re killing me, man! She’s just a girl.”

The boy shook her head, “You know I love Ladybug.”

“But now there’s Marinette!” Plagg left Adrien’s shoulder and raced to another cabinet, rummaging through leftover clothes. “Look, Ladybug was a lost cause. You literally do not know the next time you’ll see her. But bakery girl?” Plagg returned to the picture he had been looking at. “Nice parents? Pretty hair? Cheese pastries? Come on, man!”

The boy huffed, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “It’s not that easy, Plagg.”

“Sure it is,” the kwami sprawled across the frame. “You are trapped in a house with an adorable girl your age for an unprecedented amount of time. Get to know her. Bake me some pastries. Break into the old lady’s liquor cabinet. The rest is history.”

Adrien shook his head, looking back at his suitcase. Lying at the bottom was a black t-shirt with the words, “I’ve Got The Lady Bug” written in pink letters. He had never worn in public but he liked to think Ladybug knew he was her number one fan.

“I’m not giving up on her,” he decided. He carefully took off his nicely pressed polo (he had wanted to look nice for the move), letting it all to the floor. His hands picked up the tee. 

Plagg snorted, “You are not wearing that.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow, “Watch me.” 

Before he could prove the kwami wrong, however, Marientte busted the door. She was holding a pile of towels in one hand and cleaning spray in the other. Her black hair was tied up in a ponytail and she was wearing leggings and an athletic tank. She had ear buds in and was singing loudly to a Jagged Stone song.

And she was a terrible singer.

Adrien could hear Plagg snickering in the corner, and he gave a quick “I’ll never feed you cheese again if you don’t shut up” motion before clearing his throat. “Marinette?”

The girl didn’t even seem to notice him. Her back was to him as she opened up a cabinet, dropping the towels inside. She continued to shriek unbearably and Adrien wasn’t sure what to do. “Marinette!” he tried saying louder.

Apparently Marinette had reached the climax of the song as she spontaneously started jumping and dancing while she organized the towels. He watched her fingers mimic guitar chords and she continued to sing… or do whatever she did. 

Adrien sucked in a deep breath and walked to her. He lightly tapped her arm and spoke again, “Marinette?”

The girl shrieked, dropping her last towel and spinning around. She took her elbow and shoved it into Adrien, knocking him to the ground. Adrien had been closer to her than he initially thought and in trying to find something to stabilize himself, the boy grabbed Marientte’s arm and yanked her down with him. The girl yelled again, toppling on top of the boy.

Adrien groaned, his head throbbing from impact and chest aching from being attacked. He couldn’t even notice the pain while Marinette was lying on top of him. Her brilliant blue eyes were just inches away from his. Scarlet exploding on her cheeks and she was biting her lips nervously. Did she always have such nice lips?

“Adrien?”

“Huh?”

“Will you let go of me?”

The boy frowned in confusion, then noticed his hands interlocked on the girl’s back, trapping her in his embrace.

“Oh,” he released his grip, “Sorry.”

Marinette smiled nervously and lifted her hands off his chest. It was only then Adrien remembered he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Adrien felt his stomach drop, “Shit.” He scurried you to his bed and threw on the closest shirt. He could still feel her finger tips lightly brushing against his chest.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you-“

“Oh, no,” Marinette stammered. “It’s my fault. I stress clean and today is Thursday my family always cleans on Thursday and I just assumed you had already packed I didn’t even think about knocking I just wanted to drop off towels!” The girl gripped on her arm, digging her nails into her skin. “I’m such an idiot.”

“No, you’re great!” Adrien exclaimed. “We’re both new at this! It’s all good.”

Marinette blinked dumbly. After an awkward moment of her staring and his smiling for a little too long she blurted, “I ordered pizza.”

“Oh,” he said. “Cool.”

“I’ll go check on it,” she muttered. She grabbed her spray bottle and shuffled to the door. Before leaving she turned around and pointed at Adrien. “Um... I like the shirt. She’s pretty cool.”

Adrien looked down, the words, “I’ve Got The Lady Bug”, staring back.

“See you in twenty,” Marinette smiled and left his dazzled in the room.

“New deal,” Plagg’s voice could be heard behind him. “Two weeks and you’ll be banging.”

  
This was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these goons. I love kwamis being parents. I love clumsy children. I LOVE THEM!
> 
> See you when the pizza comes! ;)
> 
> Come bug me on Tumblr!
> 
> -Iz


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hot pizza.  
> Hot water.  
> HOT CONVERSATION.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this three times. What have I learned? I want to make them fall in love immediately and that is NOT how it works.
> 
> So how do you cut the tension without forcing unnatural love?
> 
> Pizza.

Adrien ate pizza with a fork. 

Marinette’s eyes glazed over as Adrien stabbed the slice of pepperoni. His right hand held a knife and he cut himself a bite sized piece. The boy gently fed himself, chewing an excessive amount, then nodded happily. “This is _really_ good.”

She was dumbfounded. Her eyes were glued to his hands, cutting with doctor-like precision. “I don’t get to eat a lot of fun food,” Adrien commented between bites. “My diet is really strict but this pizza is incredible.” He looked up at Marinette and frowned, “Why aren’t you eating?”

Marinette didn’t realize how small pizza would be. It was a meal for a baby bird or Tiki or Chloe on an internet diet.

“What?” Adrien exclaimed, “Is there something on my face?” He grabbed a napkin and began delicately patting his cheeks. “I’m sorry, I can be a messy eater.”

“You…” Marinette said, “You eat pizza with a fork?”

Adrien dropped his utensil like he was playing hot potato. His hands were perfect: there was no sign of sauce or grease. They almost looked cleaner than before he had eaten.

He grabbed his fork off the table and started cutting himself a new bite. “Yeah,” he said, “Why?”

“Uh huh,” Marinette tried to stop staring but every bite was perfectly uniform. “Have you ever watched someone eat a pizza?”

“With your hands?” Adrien waited until he was done chewing to add, “My father says it’s messy.”

Marinette repeated the word, “Messy?”

“Yeah, the sauce gets on your fingers and then you stain the clothes and then the clothes have to get washed and we fall behind on set.” He looked at the slice longingly, “I don’t think I’ve had pizza in years.”

 _Years_. Marinette shook her head and bursted from her seat. She trudged across the kitchen and swiped by his plate, snatching his silverware. Marinette ran to the sink, dropped them into the soapy water, and returned to her seat, her face brimming with content.

Adrien, on the other hand, was the opposite of content. “What the heck!”

“You are in my house, now,” Marinette tossed him another slice. “You’re going to eat like a normal person.”

“I eat like a normal person,” he said. The boy gave his pizza a weary glance. “You just pick it up?”

“You eat like a rich boy,” Marientte returned to her attention to her slice. “A scared, douchebag rich boy. When I’m done with you, you’re going to be a teenager.”

Adrien skeptically looked at his pizza, then slowly lifted it, pinching the crust with two fingers. Marinette sighed, lifting hers up in example. “One hand at the crust, one hand at the tip.”

The boy was visibly shaking and slowly bit the slice. He immediately gasped, spitting out the piece and dropping the pizza. He sprinted to the sink, “HOT! HOLY SHIT! IT IS SO HOT.”

Marinette erupted into laughter, snorting while Adrien ran his face under the running faucet. When he resurfaced his entire face was dripping, water running down her neck and into his hair.

Man, he looked _so hot._

The girl giggled, “You have to blow on it, first.”

“Blow on it?” Adrien exclaimed. “What’s the point of eating something if it takes so much work.”

Marinette laughed again, taking another bite of her own slice. “Most people find pizza one of the least stressful foods.”

Adrien stuck out his tongue, “The food I eat doesn’t melt my face off.”

“Well, _Chef Agreste,”_ the girl accentuated her French accent, “what does your sophisticated palette require?”

Adrien sighed, eyeing his pizza nervously as he sat down. “I eat all sorts of things… but I’m definitely a chip kinda person.”

“Chips?” Marinette asked. Her internal Adrien database could recall any information about chips.

“All the food my dad has me eat is healthy and lean but that usually means it’s wet and slimy and probably green.” Adrien carefully picked up his slice again. “Chips are simple and crunchy and add at least fifty calories per bite.”

“Huh,” Marinette murmured. She was filing the information into her catalog.

“What about you?” Adrien took a long bite and after chewing excessively, nodded in approval. “What kind of food do you like?”

Marinette blushed, “Oh, well, um…” She tapped nervously on the table. “I kinda maybe really like take out at Chef Lee’s…”

The model’s eyes widened. _“Chef Lee’s?”_ He gasped, “The Chinese place? It’s not even real Asain food! Half the people who work there are white!”

“I know!” Marinette cried, hiding her face behind her hands. “But they have the best pork fried rice.”

Adrien laughed, “You’re actually Chinese. You can have actual Chinese food!” 

The girl shook her head, “We can’t make fortune cookies. Trust me, my dad tried for my mom’s birthday last year. It was a mess.”

“Fortune cookies aren’t even Chinese!” Adrien had finished his slice and was starting a second. 

“They are to the Dupain-Cheng’s!”

Marinette was shaking, her stomach aching from laughter. Adrien was puffing, too, and his grin was intoxicating. While the two teens slowed their breathing, there was a second where Marientte forgot she had anything to worry about.

Alas, a second isn’t nearly long enough when you’re faced with the love of your life.

The girl bit her lip, “Well, I should get going.”

Adrien’s brow furrowed, “Where?”

“To bed.” Marinette said quickly. She sprung from her chair and hurriedly gathered the leftovers. “It’s getting late and it’s been a long day…”

“It’s only five,” Adrien pointed out.

Her eyes darted to the clock, “Right. Well, I have an early day in the bakery.”

Adrien scooted his seat out and stood slowly, “Okay, if you have to. I was kinda hoping we could watch a movie or something.”

Marinette grabbed her plate and tossed it in the sink. Once the water was running she stammered, “Oh, no. I couldn’t.” She slammed her hands in the sink and stiffened a cry. Pain shot up Marientte’s hands from the boiling sensation but she forced her hands to stay. If she lifted them, Adrien would be able to see her shaking.

“There’s just so much to do,” she spoke through gritted teeth.

He laughed awkwardly, collecting his silverware. “I’m not sure there is. School is closed and everyone is stuck at home. _We_ are stuck at home. Seems like all there is to do is chill out. You sure you don’t want to play a game?”

Marinette scrubbed her plate, her heart quickening. “The kitchen is such a mess and I haven’t started cleaning the living room-“

“But, Marinette-“

“-and it’s been a crazy day you deserve rest-“

“Marinette.”

“-not to mention our Netflix account has been spotty, I don’t know if it’s even working-“

“Dammit, Marientte, will you please listen to me?”

The girl whipped her hands out of the sink. She stared at them, covered in red splotches, and cursed, immediately running the cold water.

“Look,” he started, bringing his own plate to her, “I know you don’t like me very much. And this whole situation is… weird. I mean, I’ve never had a sleepover, much less stayed at a pretty girl’s house.”

Marinette stiffened and Adrien waved his hands frantically. “Well- I mean- not that you’re- well you are- I just…” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Marinette’s breath hitched while her heart exploded.

“I’m not exactly…” Adrien gestured with his hands while he searched for the right words, “good… at talking… or telling people how I feel.” His fists dug into his pockets while he teetered on his heels. “It’s just… I was really excited to come over and be able to just… exist.” His eyes remained fixed on the plate Marinette was cleaning. “At home I’m basically ignored unless I mess up… and at work I’m idolized by strangers for something I don’t even like… and school is great, but I’m not exactly Mr. Popular…” He looked up with his greens, smirking, “Not like you.”

Marinette snorted, forcing herself not to pay attention to how close he was to her, “I am not popular.”

“Um, yeah… you are.” Adrien moved closer to her and started washing his dish, then realized he didn’t exactly know what he was doing. Marinette handed him a sponge and motioned to the soggy water stopped in the sink. The boy gingerly dipped the plate in the water and lightly tapped it with a sponge.

Marinette laughed, drying off the first plate. “What do you mean? Everyone loves you.”

“No,” Adrien said. He started scrubbing the plate harder, “They liked me for a little bit. I was the new shiny toy. But no one talks to me… not like they talk to you.” He smiled, his sponge tapping morphing into gentle circular motions, “Your friends love you. I've got Nino and he’s great… but you?” He set down the plate, “Really… everyone adores you.”

Marinette frowned. Popular. Adrien was the one who deserved the love. He was perfect, the ideal person.

But hearing him, his sadness… his heartbreak... 

“Well, I guess none of that matters now,” Marientte said. She offered her hand and Adrien reluctantly gave her the plate. She eyed it carefully, “You’ve never done the dishes, have you?”

Adrien looked down sheepishly, avoiding her gaze “...we have people for that.”

Marientte rolled her eyes, “Of course you do.” She looked at the plate. For all the extra work she had put into cleaning, it looked the same as her own.

She huffed, drying it with a rag. “So,” Marinette set the plate on top of her own and tucked it in a cabinet, “this is technically your first sleepover?” Adrien laughed nervously, his fists shifting in his pockets, “Um, yeah. Sorry, I guess I had all these unfair expectations for what today would be. I know you didn’t want me here… it was all happenstance.” 

Marinette folded her arms, her lips pressing together, “Why do you keep saying that?”

Adrien tilted his head, “What?”

“Why do you keep saying that I don’t want you here or that I don’t like you?” Marinette closed the awkward space, pressing her pointer finger into his chest. “I’ll have you know I like you very much and really appreciate your company. I’m sorry if you feel differently but it’s just a fact. Now, you’re going to your room and putting on your most favulous pajamas and in fifteen minutes you better be back down here for the best sleepover of your life, you hear me?”

Adrien towered Marientte a good five inched, but in that moment Adrien was far beneath her. He nodded and scurried upstairs, murmuring “yes, m’am’s” as he ran.

Marinette grinned, her eyes narrowing at the living room. She didn’t have time to think about how close she was to him, or how pretty his eyes were, or how he smelled like fresh laundry. This night was going to be the best night of Adrien’s life and nothing was going to change that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friends. Just friends. ;)
> 
> Let’s have a sleepover! 
> 
> -Iz


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg is a 90's girl. Adrien's a four year old.
> 
> That's all you need to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the break! I've been working on a screenplay and school starting SUCKS!
> 
> I'll try to be more vigilante. I haven't forgotten about our dorks!

Adrien had been staring at two different shirts for fifteen minutes. Both were t-shirts, one was green and striped while another was just a plain red. They weren’t exciting, frankly they were extremely boring, but he was nervous. He didn’t want to scare Marinette off with a Pokémon or Naruto shirt. Not after she said she liked him.

She _liked_ him. Like _really_ liked him. She didn't hate him, this wasn't pity. He was staying at Marinette Dupain-Cheng's house because _she liked him._

He giggled then covered it with a cough. “Plagg,” Adrien held the red shirt up to his chest. “What does one wear to a sleepover?”

The kwami groaned, rolling onto his stomach to get a better view. He had devoured the leftover pizza Adrien had swiped and was lounging on their bed. He really excelled at making himself at home. “You know I don’t like talking to you when you sound like a Shakespearian squire.”

Adrien huffed, throwing the shirt at his companion. “I’m serious,” he whined, “This is important.”

The kwami slowly opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by his own belch. Adrien’s nose scrunched in retaliation. “I’m serious, too,” Plagg said. “I’m an ancient and divine being who has lived through centuries of dialect changes. Your modern dialect is by far the best.”

“You’re not answering my question,” Adrien stood firmly. He attempted a look of authority but he felt more alike to a children demanding fruit snacks.

The kwami snorted, “Yeah, because it doesn’t matter. Wear whatever you want, she won’t care. It’s just a sleepover.”

A blast of pain slammed into Adrien’s stomach. The boy felt his joy fade and the words replayed internally: _It’s just a sleepover._

Adrien gazed at the green shirt and cursed under his breath. “You’re right, I’m being dumb. It doesn’t even matter. Nothing matters.” The boy slumped onto the bed, crestfallen. He had determined in that very moment he would never be happy again.

That was, until he heard come from the other side of the bed. Plagg sat up, grumbling like a man. “You need to wear pajamas.”

Adrien shot up, his eyes ablaze with wonder. “ _Pajamas_ ,” he whispered.

The kwami rolled his eyes and flew to his closet. He scanned the clothes, searching for something appropriate. “Yeah, pajamas, but cute pajamas. Like a graphic tee and comfy shorts. You want to be cozy yet kissable.”

The boy audibly gasped, then, feeling embarrassed, folded his arms, “Plagg, I am not-“

“Honestly, your dorky ladybug shirt is our best bet.” Adrien looked down at his shirt and started to protest but Plagg had already moved on. The kwami returned from the wardrobe with a pair of black joggers. It looked awkward, the small creature lugging the clothes. Adrien stiffened a laugh while Plagg dropped the pants in his lap.

Black zoomed past Adrien’s face and landed in his backpack. Moments later Plagg appeared again, holding socks decorated in taco print. “Put on these,” Plagg demanded.

Adrien raised an eyebrow but slowly put on the socks all the same. “You seem very educated in sleepover attire,” he observed.

Plagg shook his, “I’m just guessing.” The words were quick, almost rehearsed.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Adrien moved to the next foot. “People don’t just guess and pick taco socks. That was a choice, Plagg. You know I love the llama socks.”

The kwami rolled his eyes, “Those are pretty basic.”

“Exactly,” Adrien exclaimed. He leapt off the bed and began changing into the joggers. “Why do you know that?”

Plagg returned to the closet, rummaging through the leftover belongings. “My last Chat Noir was a fifteen year old in the ‘90s. I went to a lot of sleepovers.”

The boy’s jaw dropped, “You went to sleepovers? And you never told me!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. But that was a long time ago.” He nuzzled into a hoodie, cocooning in the left sleeve. “Brittany’s long gone and now I’m stuck with Chat who doesn’t understand the importance of taco socks.”

Adrien rose slowly and met his friend in the wardrobe. His face softened, “Plagg, I’m so sorry.”

“Nah, man. It’s cool,” Plagg peaked his head out of the cuff. “She grew up. They always do.” The kwami looked at Adrien and smiled, “Nice pajamas.”

Adrien stared down at his attire and shrugged, “I look unkempt.”

“You look great,” Plagg stayed in hiding but motioned towards the door. “Now, you can’t keep your love waiting. ”

He rolled his eyes, “She’s not my love.” The boy’s face softened as she asked, “You sure you want to be alone? I can cancel. There’s three weeks worth of sleepovers.”

“Oh yeah, I’m fine,” Plagg scurried through the sleeve, his head reappearing in the hoodie. “I still have a whole bakery to explore.”

Adrien’s face dropped, “Don’t you dare.”

“Watch me,” Plagg shot out of the sweatshirt and bolted, phasing through the wall.

Adrien yelped, “Shit!” before chasing after his kwami. The boy crashed through the door. He skidded down the stairs, tripping over his feet and colliding with the wooden floor.

He heard Marinette curse and felt footsteps on the floor. He was too dazed to move.

“Adrien, are you okay?”

Suddenly, Marinette’s hands were soft against his arms. As she helped him up he noticed she smelled sweet, like chocolate. Adrien didn’t know why this mattered or why he cared. And there were those blue eyes, again. A magnificent blue. At the moment they were wide with concern, scanning his body. Why was she doing that?

“Are you hurt?” Marinette stammered, gripping his arms and checking for signs of peril. “What happened? What were you thinking?”

“Well, I…” Adrien’s attention was taken by the familiar black blur floating above the girl. Plagg’s back was toward him and his arms were wrapped around himself, mimicking an intense make out session.

It was Marinette’s words that brought him back, “Adrien!” It wasn’t a question this time. She turned her head to match Adrien’s gaze but was met with a vacant ceiling. Plagg has quickly ducked behind her and zoomed into a separate room.

“I…” he murmured, looking back at Marinette and his thoughts scattering. Her dark hair tied neatly into two braids and pink glasses framed her ocean eyes. Her legs were drowning in gray sweatpants while her torso was fitted with a blushing tee. Across the chest were pink sequin letters: _Chat Noir Fan Club._

_“Holy shit.”_

“You should sit down,” Marinette decided, worry laced in her voice. If she had noticed the profanity she didn’t say anything. Her hand appeared on the small of Adrien’s back and a flurry of heat struck his spine. He stiffened a gasp. As he was led through the house, the boy forced his mind to wander. Flaming Hot Cheetos, pictures of his grandmother, the last season of Naruto. Anything to avoid the fact that Marinette Dupain-Cheng looked adorable in pajamas.

Unfortunately, in blocking out Marinette’s… Marientteness, Adrien had blocked out most of Marinette. She had been rambling about something as they tracked through the floor. Designing? Candy? Pajamas?

“I know it’s kinda weird,” he heard Marinette say. “What do you think Adrien?”

_Shit_. Adrien wasn’t very good at lying. Or recovering. An alien-like noise escaped his throat, followed by a hitch pitched, “I’m sorry, what?”

Marinette blinked, then smiled, “You’re right! It deserves a better introduction.” The girl then circled to Adrien’s back and raised her hands, covering Adrien’s eyes. Adrien refused to let his mind notice how small and delicate they were.

“I need a drum roll, please!” Marinette bellowed.

Adrien frowned and awkwardly started tapping his legs.

“Close enough! Welcome to the official Agreste-Dupain-Cheng sleepover!”

The hands were removed and Adrien didn’t notice anything at first. His eyes slowly moved to the floor where he found he was standing on top of a blanket. A pile of board games were found next, followed by a mountain of DVDs. There were chips, soda bottles, and pillows galore. It was messy and a little underwhelming to any sane person but to Adrien it was perfect.

“I know,” Marinette said, “it’s kinda lame.” Adrien spun around, locking with Marinette’s eyes. She looked worried, concern swirling through her eyes. “It’s the best I could do on short notice.”

Before he knew what he was doing, Adrien wrapped his arms around Marientte. She squealed, tensing up, but the boy was too happy to notice. “Thank you,” he smiled. “Thank you so much.”

He felt Marinette ease into the hug, her arms slowly enveloping him. Her fingers started moving slowly, tracing the length of his spine. A shiver moved through his body. He bit his lip to keep any unwanted noises from escaping. His nose nuzzled into her shoulder. It was so hard to be quiet when her finger kept moving and her hair smelled like sweets and her skin was so soft-

Marinette’s phone was ringing. The two broke apart like similar magnets, Adrien leaping for the couch and Marinette leaning against the door frame. Adrien ran his fingers through his hair, replacing Marinette’s skin with his blond locks.

Marinette ripped out her phone. Her face “Something wrong?” Adrien asked. The girl looked up and backed into the frame, banging her head against the wall. “Oh, no it’s my mom. It’s just really late in China. If you could just give me a second.”

Adrien nodded, “Yeah, sure, of course.”

Marinette smiled, answering the phone call in Chinese. She left the room but Adrien could pick out key words between the walls: _sick bay, uncle, indefinite._

Between the meal and the sleepover, Adrien had forgotten about the pandemic. He laughed, f _orgotten about the pandemic._ What a stupid phrase. How do you forget about something so catastrophic? His father was trapped in a foriegn country, so was Marinette’s parents…

But when Marinette reentered the room, her face red with tears, he realized the only thing that really mattered was her.

Adrien jumped off the couch, “Marinette, what-”

“My uncle has it,” she blurted. “He has Covid-19.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you forget it was a pandemic? In China? And Italy?
> 
> Wear a mask you idiots. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, lovebugs! Come bug me on Tumblr!
> 
> -Iz


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deep talks and Cheetos.
> 
> They've gotta be friends at some point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, lovelies! 
> 
> It's been a while. Here's something to tie you over until we get into CONFLICT.

Adrien wasn’t well versed with human emotion. His father was a brick wall; Adrien hadn’t seen him smile in years (he didn’t think it was possible anymore) and every sentence was either laced in disapproval or annoyance. Natalie was only capable of discussing business. He had only discovered that she was married a few months ago. Chloé experienced extreme emotions but they tended to be catastrophic for a few minutes before she began interested in something else. And Gorilla… Well, Adrien questioned whether or not he was really human.

Because of this emotionless upbringing, Adrien wasn’t sure what to do when Marinette burst into tears. He became even more perplexed once she curled in the fetal position on her couch and wrapped herself in several blankets.

Adrien was still standing awkwardly, unaware of the appropriate reaction.

Plagg appeared behind the couch, eyeing the depressed girl. The kwami began waving his hands in various motions, attempting to communicate via nonverbals.

Adrien squinted, trying to summon meaning from Plagg’s small nubs.

Sighing, Plagg raced to Adrien’s side and started pulling him away from the girl. Adrien began to follow the kwami until he heard the girl murmur, “Adrien?”

Adrien froze. Plagg hid behind the awkward teen. It didn't matter either way. Marinette’s face was smothered in her banket.

The boy was shaking, “Yes?”

Marinette spoke between sobs, “Could you get me a drink?”

“Uh, yeah,” he stammered. “I’ll go do that.”

Adrien raced into the kitchen, skidding in the doorway to keep from falling over. Plagg was already there, rummaging through an open fridge.

“How do you do that?” Adrien asked, panting.

Plagg was rummaging in the cheese drawer, swimming through coby jack. “Practice. Now, what happened back there?”

The boy groaned, anxiously running his fingers through his hair, “I don’t know! Everything was good and then she got that phone call and she just started crying! I’m not good at this stuff!”

“What stuff? Being a good person?” Plagg began sorting the cheese, muttering to himself. “Gouda, yes. Pepper jack, no. Where’s the camembert?”

Adrien slumped into a chair, resting his head in his hands, “What am I supposed to do?”

“Comfort her, probably.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Adrien spat. “But I’ve never done this before.”

Once Plagg was satisfied with the cheese, he moved on to the beverages. “I was trying to help you in the living room if you had listened to me.”

The boy frowned, _“Excuse me?”_

“I thought my hand motions were very clear,” Plagg began recreating the secret message from earlier.

Adrien shot up from his seat, fuming. “YOU DON’T HAVE FINGERS!”

A small voice called from the living room. “Is everything all right in there?”

“Temper, temper,” Plagg tisked.

Adrien gritted his teeth, “Everything’s _fine_ , Marinette. Just finishing up.”

Plagg flew from the fridge and rested on Adrien’s shoulder, “Look, she isn’t your classic sad pretty situation. Her relative has contracted an inhuman and unidentified disease that’s been killing thousands of people.”

“You’re very encouraging,” Adrien snarked.

“What I’m saying is that this is uncharted territory.” Plagg rested his head on Adrien’s neck. “No one knows what to do right now. Not her, not you. All you can do is try your best. So get her some lemonade and be the best you can be because that’s all you can do right now.”

Adrien frowned, looking at his friend. “Plagg, that was kinda inspiring. What’s gotten into you?”

Plagg shrugged, “Marinette has quality cheese. Except for that pepper jack.” The kwami zipped back into the fridge and hid in the cheese drawer.

The boy sighed, walking to the fridge and reaching for the lemonade. “Okay, Adrien,” he muttered. “You can do this.”

* * *

Marinette had never felt so alone. Her chest was wound up and her stomach contorted into boy scout level knots. Her head was pounding and her throat was raw from the tears but she couldn’t stop crying. She couldn’t do anything. She ached to scream and kick and curse this stupid universe. But two rooms away was the model of human perfection and she had to hold it together. 

Adrien probably thought she was crazy. But this whole thing was crazy. Letting Adrien stay at her house was a mistake. Everything became so complicated. She should ask him to leave right now. No sleepover, no friendship, no-

“Marinette?” The girl turned her head, still wrapped in her burrito blanket. Adrien stood in the doorway and Marinette was blessed by his beautiful smile. In one hand he had a glass of lemonade and in the other hand he held an ibuprofen bottle.

Adrien shook the bottle, “I thought you might have a headache.”

Marinette weakly smiled, “Thank you.”

The boy moved towards Marinette and knelt on the floor beside her side. “Can you sit up for me?”

“Uh, yeah,” Marinette blushed. She slowly made it upwards and took the bottle from him. Once she poured out a few pills, Adrien handed her the drink.

"You're really good at this," Marinette noticed. 

Adrien began tucking the blanket around the girl, "My mom got sick a lot when I was younger. I was home a lot."

"Oh." Marinette stared at her lemonade, “I’m sorry.”

Adrien frowned, “What? Why?”

“This was supposed to be your great night.” She motioned at the preset living room. Her breath quickened and she could feel her stomach grow tighter. “I had picked out movies and brought you snacks-”

“And it’s perfect, thank you.” Adrien placed a hand on her knee and sparks shot up her spine. “We have weeks to have that perfect sleepover. Right now you need to breathe, okay?”

The girl nodded, though it was impossible to do anything when Adrien was so close.

Adrien removed his hand from Marinette’s leg and brought it to his hair. He did that a lot- run his fingers through his hair. It was unfair, really. Marinette wanted nothing more than to be the one to tossel his blonde locks.

“How about we play a game?”

Marinette dropped her gaze, losing the hair but gaining his bright green eyes. “A game? What do you mean?”

The boy sighed, dropping his hands into his lap. He thought for a moment, staring off into space, his eyes squinting. It was unbelievably adorable.

To her surprise, Adrien leapt onto the couch, scooting in right next to her. They weren’t quite touching but they weren’t not touching. Marinette stiffened in a tight breath.

Adrien hugged his knees, “I can play the entire Majora's Mask soundtrack on the piano. Nino and I got caught sneaking into an R rated movie. I am allergic to shellfish.”

Marinette blinked, “I don’t get it.”

“What’s the lie?” Adrien asked. “You know, two truths and a lie? I used to play it a lot with other models.”

The girl nodded, then thought for a minute, “What’s Majora's Mask?”

“A Zelda game.”

“Ah.”

Marinette thought for another moment, “There’s no way you and Nino did that.”

Adrien shrieked like a buzzer, causing Marinette to jump. “Incorrect.”

“No way!” Marinette gasped. “What movie?”

“ _Deadpool._ Absolutely worth it. Except my father was not too happy,” Adrien’s bright smile flickered for just a second before beaming again. “I’m not allergic to shellfish. I might be allergic to pineapple but I also might not be allergic to pineapple so you know. It’s anybody's guess.”

“You know every song from that video game?” Marinette asked.

Adrien smirked, “I had a lot of free time when I was homeschooled. Now, you go.”

The girl thought for a moment, though it was impossible to think about anything when Adrien sat there with his perfect smile so patiently and still and quiet and _so so so so hot._

Marinette closed her eyes, biting her lip before saying, “I've never been on a rollercoaster. I was born on Friday the 13th. My favorite color is pink.”

Adrien sunk into the couch. He grabbed a pillow off the ground and held it to his chest.

The girl snorted, raising an eyebrow, “What are you doing?”

“Shh,” Adrien squinted into an unknown abyss. “I’m thinking.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, hopping off the couch. She moved towards the mountain of junk food. “Cheetos or Lays?”

“What part of ‘thinking’ do you not understand?” Adrien’s eyes wandered towards the bags of chips. “Are they puffs?”

She grinned, “Maybe.”

Adrien frowned before lying across the couch, still clutching the pillow. “May I please have a bowl?”

Two bowls and half a bag later, Adrien was sprawled across the couch while Marinette was perched on an ottoman. The boy ate each cheeto with thought and precision while she shoved a handful of chips in her mouth.

Marinette glared at a smaller sized puff, “You’re taking forever.”

“You can’t rush the process,” Adrien tried balancing a cheeto on his nose.

“It’s a stupid process,” Marinette popped another cheeto in her mouth. When Adrien didn’t respond, Marinette flicked a cheeto at his head. It knocked the first cheeto off his nose.

Adrien cursed, grabbing the Cheetos, “What the heck?”

“I’m boooored,” Marinette groaned. 

“Fine,” Adrien sat up, using his comfort pillow to prop himself up. “You weren’t born on Friday the 13th.”

Marinette pursed her lips, “Are you sure?”

Adrien groaned, grabbing his pillow and covering his face. He screamed something incoherent.

“Say that again?” Marinette asked.

Adrien lifted the pillow slightly, “Well, I was sure until you said it like that. I told you, I needed more time.”

The girl smiled, setting her bowl on the coffee table. “I’ve never been on a roller coaster.”

“Nope,” Adrien sat up, the pillow sliding off his face. “That’s not true.”

“What do you mean?” Marinette asked.

“You, Nino, and Alya went to Jardin d'Acclimatation over the summer,” Adrien said. “Nino sent me pictures. You were on a roller coaster.”

Marinette shook her head, “Ferris wheel. Roller coasters freak me out. How do you even remember that?”

Adrien hugged the pillow, his eyes lowering, “My dad wouldn’t let me go. Amusement parks are 'injuries waiting to happen.'” He used finger quotes when referencing his father, “Nino tried to make me feel included with phone calls and pictures but it’s not really the same thing.”

His arms tightened around the pillow. Marinette’s face fell. Her arm moved towards Adrien’s but then she held it back. “I’m sorry,” Marinette muttered.

Adrien plastered a fake smile, “It’s okay. I don’t like roller coasters either.”

“Why do you do that?” Marinette asked. She snagged a cheeto from her bowl.

He frowned, “What?”

“That,” Marinette flashed a model-like smile. “It’s weird. You don’t have to hide stuff from me.”

The boy shoved several Cheetos in his mouth, “I’m a model.”

“A good one, too,” Marinette spoke before she knew what she was saying. Adrien peered over his chip and she quickly glanced to the side. She pushed through the embarrassment. “But you’re also a kid and, more importantly, my friend.”

“Thanks,” Adrien mumbled. “I like being friends.”

A warmth erupted in Marinette’s stomach. She felt heat spread across her cheeks and slammed more chips in her mouth in an attempt to overcompensate.

Adrien looked thoughtfully at his bowl before saying, “I’m really sorry about your uncle.”

Marinette shuddered. She had almost forgotten about her uncle's diagnosis. The warm fuzzies shifted into a deep pit. “Me too,” she whispered.

Adrien looked up at the ceiling. Marinette followed his eyes but didn’t see anything.

“Do you think this is one of those things that changes everything?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” The girl pushed Adrien’s legs to make room for herself on the couch. Sitting next to him, she could feel his heat graze her arm. Marinette had never been this close to a boy again.

“Like polio... the black plague…” Adrien sat up, making room for her. “Light up sketchers?”

She snorted, tucking her legs into a crisscrossed fashion, “I don’t know if those shoes were exactly revolutionary.”

“You know what I mean,” he said, pushing the bowl away from him. “I don’t know if we’re ever going back to normal.”

Marinette nodded slowly, shifting her weight so she’d be closer to him. “I try not to think about it,” she admitted. “If I start, I can’t stop.”

Adrien scooted closer, their legs gently touching. Marinette pretended not to notice. This wasn’t the same as the other times they’d been together. Marinette felt… comfortable. She didn’t know why but Adrien just felt so familiar.

“I liked to worry,” Adrien said. “It makes me feel like I can do something.”

The girl laughed, sneaking another Cheeto from Adrien’s bowl, “That’s stupid.”

Marinette expected Adrien to argue but he just shrugged, “Maybe. I feel better when I worry.”

The girl frowned. She watched Adrien’s eyes grow dull, as if he was in another world. Marinette poked Adrien in the ribs.

Adrien yelped, “Dude!”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about me.” Marinette grinned, “Now that we’re sleepover buddies.”

The boy gave a weak smile, “Yeah, I guess so.”

Marinette’s frown deepened. She leapt off the couch and walked to her television. She opened up a cabinet, revealing dozens of combat style video games. The girl plucked a worn copy of Ultimate Mecha Strike III and spun around.

She threw the game at Adrien’s lap, “Best two out of three?”

Adrien examined the game before looking back up at Marinette and smirking, “You’re on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turn in next time for baking shenanigans!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Come bug me on Tumblr!
> 
> -Iz


End file.
